In defense of Astrid’s attitude towards Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!Lydia and Astrid don’t have the greatest mother-daughter relationship Beetlejuice 2But Jenna Ortega’s character has every right to be evil in the sequel. Astrid is the new member of the Deetz family introduced in Tim Burton’s follow-up to the 1988 film. Played by rising star Jenna Ortega, Astrid is a key character in Beetlejuice 2The cast along with returning characters portrayed by Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. There was no doubt that Ortega could land a role in a sequel to such a beloved movie, but there was some division around Astrid and how she treated her mother.

Despite hope that a sequel would show Lydia some kind of happiness after the original BeetlejuiceAfter the ending, Ryder’s character isn’t doing too well when we meet her again. She lost her husband, she’s dating a man who exploits her, her job is causing more damage to her mental health, and she learns that her father died unexpectedly. Moreover, she is not close to her daughter. of Astrid Wednesday-Like characterization has been speculated well before Beetlejuice 2 has been released, but there are deeper nuances to the Deetz tin than what is initially seen on the surface.

Astrid’s resentment towards Lydia in Beetlejuice 2 explained

Astrid doesn’t seem to want anything to do with Lydia

Before Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega Beetlejuice 2 Characters even directly interact on screen, it’s clear evidence that they have a strained relationship. For one, Astrid has “alleged mother” listed as Lydia’s contact information in her phone. She also does not even pick up despite Lydia’s constant attempts to reach her daughter to share the news of Charles’ death. Lydia admits several times through Beetlejuice 2 That she and Astrid are not very closeAnd much of this has to do with what happened after the original Beetlejuice involving Richard.

After the original Beetlejuice In 1988, Lydia married a man named Richard. The couple has one daughter, Astrid, who is around 16 years old in the sequel. However, Richard of Astrid is no longer around after his tragic passing. Beetlejuice 2 Explains what happened to Richard, revealing he experienced a fatal boating accident after relocating to Brazil. Considering his move to South America was after Lydia and Richard’s divorce, Astrid partly blames her mom for what happened to Richard.

Astrid’s resentment towards her mother also stems from Lydia not being able to see or communicate with Richard’s ghost despite Lydia’s “strange and unusual” gifts. That said, Lydia still has her supernatural abilities, which are shown on her talk show, Ghost house. The fact that Lydia helps other people communicate with the dead but cannot reach Richard has clouded Astrid’s perception of her mother, believing her to be a fraud.

Astrid’s feelings about her family are warranted

Ortega’s character has a reason to be angry

There is no question that Astrid treats Lydia autumnally. In fact, she is downright nasty with her cruel speech on several occasions. That said, Much of what Astrid is feeling can be justified, even if the character does not go about releasing her feelings the right way. For one, she never got closure on her father’s death since she was sent away to boarding school. Being away from her family, whether in New York or BeetlejuiceWinter River’s primary setting would have made processing her grief so much harder if she had been sent away by herself.

Astrid also does not fully understand the powers of her mother, so she has a right to ask Lydia for not being able to communicate with Richard. Without coming into contact with spirits, the youngest of the family is understandably confused and upset. Delia and Charles have encountered Beetlejuice, Adam, Barbara and other elements in the past, but it seems they never shared their experiences with Astrid to support Lydia’s claims. In fact, it’s hard to consider any member of Astrid’s family “normal,” so it makes sense why she would have more attitude issues compared to your average teen.

Astrid is still an outsider to many of Beetlejuice 2

This character has never experienced what the other deets have

Astrid could be a new character in Beetlejuice 2But it is important to remember that she is also “new” to everything related to these Beetlejuice Franchise’s afterlife. Until Astrid discovers Jeremy’s ghost twists in Beetlejuice 2She doesn’t have first-hand experience with anything paranormal or “strange and unusual” like Lydia. as a viewer, It is easy to criticize Astrid’s behavior or a bad attitude aimed at LydiaBut we also have familiarity with franchise teaching. Astrid is essential Beetlejuice 2s biggest outsider, which is why her visit to the netherworld is so crucial in the sequel.

Lydia tries to reassure her daughter, and there are brief hopes of reconciliation when the pair recall an old photo album. However, until they get a better understanding of what they’re both dealing with – Astrid’s lack of closure about Richard’s death and everything that comes with Lydia’s “gifts” – the strained relationship can’t be mended. Keeping her distance from Lydia as a non-believer is the easier option for Astrid, especially when she is already dealing with bullying from her peers because of being Lydia’s daughter. It’s no wonder Astrid would want to follow in her dad’s footsteps while keeping her head down.

Ironically, Astrid turns out to be just like Lydia, discovering her own powers in communicating with the dead after Jeremy reveals himself to be a ghost. Being able to see Jeremy means that Astrid is also “strange and unusual,” Which also explains why the character can understand the handbook for the recently deceased so easily. While Lydia has Adam and Barbara to help her understand her gift, Astrid, unfortunately, meets a former killer as her first real supernatural encounter.

Jenna Ortega’s Astrid is not meant to be like the Wednesday character in Beetlejuice 2

Astrid & Wednesday Addams are very different at heart

The tendency to compare Astrid to Wednesday Addams is logical. Except for Tim Burton’s involvement with Beetlejuice And Netflix Addams Family show, there are stark similarities between Winona Ryder’s original portrayal of Lydia and Wednesday. Being Lydia’s daughter, there was an expectation for Astrid to be just like Lydia, with Jenna Ortega essentially spinning away from her Wednesday Character. sure, Astrid and Wednesday both may have dark attitudes and outlooks on life, but Wednesday finds joy in her diminutiveness. Astrid’s darkness is in response to her anger at the world and continued grief; She doesn’t enjoy it.

Once Astrid experiences the afterlife and reunites with Richard, the segment of the Deetz family gets a chance for some closure. Richard convinces Lydia and Astrid how much they need to save their strained relationship, giving them the push they need to fix the family dynamic. This, along with how much Lydia risks to save Astrid, is the turning point for both Deets women to prove how much they need each other. Astrid also returns the favor Beetlejuice 2Finally, use her new expertise with the netherworld to save Lydia from marrying Beetlejuice. The final sequence involving Lydia and Astrid may be a dream, but the hope of a close mother-daughter relationship seems probable.